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Posted on: March 9, 2018

RCOC BOARD APPROVES LARGEST-EVER PRESERVATION OVERLAY PROGRAM

When its contractor starts resurfacing roads in April, the Road Commission for Oakland County (RCOC) will be one of the first road agencies in the state to start spending the new road funding provided by the state Legislature.

Recently, the Legislature agreed to provide $175 million in additional road funding to agencies across the state. RCOC’s share of that money is $7 million. The RCOC Board of Road Commissioners approved devoting some of that new money to the agency’s 2018 preservation overlay program at its March 8 meeting.

“We immediately expanded our ‘preservation overlay’ program and instructed our contractor to start work as soon as weather allows,” explained RCOC Chairman Eric Wilson. The preservation overlay program involves simple resurfacing projects that can be done quickly and easily.

“Of the $7 million in additional funding we’re receiving, we will put $4 million into the preservation overlay program,” noted RCOC Vice Chairman Greg Jamian. “The remaining $3 million will go into our spot resurfacing and concrete repair programs. Every penny of the new funding will go right into the surfaces of our paved roads.”

In all, RCOC will invest more than $17.5 million in the preservation overlay program this year (including the additional $4 million in state funding and$4.5 million worth projects funded primarily with federal funds) – far more than ever before.

RCOC Commissioner Ron Fowkes noted this work will make a serious dent in the pothole problem in the county. “Our number-one goal right now is to repair the roads that saw the most potholes this year,” he said. “We are putting all available dollars toward that goal. This is the real solution to the potholes.”

An exact schedule for the project has not been established. Each preservation overlay project involves about three days of work, though the work typically occurs over about a two-week period.